In his speech at the Munich Security Conference, Vance stated that Europe is moving away from the fundamental principles it shares with the United States. «The threat that concerns me the most regarding Europe is not Russia, not China, not any other external actor. I am concerned about the threat from within. Europe's retreat from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America», — the U.S. Vice President pointed out to European leaders.
The main example of the «threat from within, Europe's retreat from some of its most fundamental values» he cited was the recently canceled elections in Romania. In December, the Romanian Supreme Court canceled the presidential elections following intelligence reports of Russian interference.
«You may think it's wrong when Russia buys ads on social media to influence your elections. You may condemn it even on the world stage, but if your democracy can be destroyed by a few hundred thousand dollars in digital advertising from another country, then it wasn't very strong to begin with», — Vance stated. He then explained to everyone that it is necessary «not only to talk about democratic values but to live by them».
«Europe faces many crises, but the main one is its own, self-made. If you are afraid of your own voters, then America cannot do anything for you. You need democratic mandates to achieve something», — Vance explained.
He also reproached European countries for the lack of freedom of speech. «Closing media, restricting elections, and excluding people from the political process does not protect anything. It is the best way to destroy democracy. Freedom of speech in Europe is retreating», — Vance stated.
The U.S. Vice President mentioned the war in Ukraine only once in his speech. According to him, the administration of President Donald Trump is «certainly concerned about Europe's security and convinced that it is possible to find a reasonable resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine».
«However, we also believe that in the coming years, Europe must take much greater responsibility for its own defense», — Vance added.
Photo: Reuters